This undated photo shows Li Keqiang (2nd R, BACK), Chinese Vice Premier and head of the State Council's advisory group of health care reform, presides over a meeting on health care reform in Beijing, capital of China. Li called for setting up a system to ensure accessibility to essential medicines and a pilot reform of state-run hospitals to bring real benefits to the people.
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday called for setting up a system to ensure accessibility to essential medicines and a pilot reform of state-run hospitals to bring real benefits to the people.
Li, also head of the State Council's advisory group of health care reform, said at a meeting that an essential medicine system will help safeguard people's safety in using drugs and cut their medication costs, according to a statement issued Thursday by the meeting.
A list of drugs, one of the most important components of the new essential medicine system the government is putting into place, had been determined, according to the advisory group earlier this month. The drugs listed would be provided to hospitals at controlled low prices.
